It was
one of those lazy days of summer. The sun was hot, the river was low and
nobody felt like doing anything. Mrs. Hippo didn't think that way. She
thought her four children should do their chores every day, no matter
what. “Children, it's time to work,” she called.

Harry,
Hugh, Hallie and Honey lay sleeping in a pile of soft grass.

Mrs.
Hippo stood above them and shouted. “Wake up! It's time to work!”

The
hippos grumbled and complained. “Mama, we don't want to work. We want to
swim in the river and chase butterflies,” said Hallie.

“You
can go swimming after you do your work. I'm going to make a special
surprise for you tonight, sago pudding with coconut.”

The
four hippos licked their lips. Mama gave them lettuce and carrots for
breakfast and told them to get to work. They headed through the tall
grasses and already the sun felt hot on their tough hides.

“Let's
just go to the river and swim first and then do our work later,” Harry
said.

The
others agreed and off they ran. They splashed into the low water and lay
down in the mud. “This is nice,” Hugh said.

Mrs.
Hippo went to check on her children and saw them in the river. “Harry!
Hugh! Hallie! Honey! I hope this means that you've done all your work.
That was fast.”

“Out of
the river!” Mrs. Hippo made her children work all day until dark. They
ate supper and sat waiting for the sago pudding with coconut. Mama
poured herself a big bowl and none for the children.

“Don't
we get any, Mama?” Hallie licked her lips

“You
disobeyed. If you do your work tomorrow, I'll let you have some sago
pudding and coconut after supper.”

The
hippos went to bed. The next morning when Mrs. Hippo went to wake her
children up, all she found was a note saying they'd left early to do
their work. She found them working very hard. “Come children. Come and
have some sago pudding with coconut.”

Each of
them ate three bowls full and then Mrs. Hippo let them go swimming.
Never again did they disobey.

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